Flamingo Sport Fishing
A Costa Rican family fleet in Playa Flamingo
Flamingo Sport Fishing is a Costa Rican family charter business in Playa Flamingo whose family has fished these waters since 1982. It runs 4 boats from the old Flamingo marina site on Route 180, and its best-known boat is the Guerrero del Mar, a restored 32-foot Blackfin with twin Cummins diesels. It suits groups who want a local crew for marlin and sailfish offshore or a half day inshore near the Catalina Islands.
At a glance
- Location
- Playa Flamingo, Guanacaste, Costa Rica
- Owners
- a Costa Rican fishing family, on these waters since 1982
- Fleet
- 4 boats, each set up for up to about 6 people
- Main boat
- Guerrero del Mar, a 32-foot Blackfin (1998, restored 2024) with twin 315 hp Cummins diesels
- Trips
- inshore half days and 3/4 days, offshore 3/4 and full days
- Release
- sailfish, marlin and roosterfish are released
- Leaves from
- the old Flamingo marina site on Route 180, Playa Flamingo
- Booking
- phone, email, its website or FishingBooker
Contact
- Website
- flamingosportfishing.com
- Phone
- +506 8389 5962
- [email protected]
Contact details checked 15 November 2026
Part of our complete guide: Fishing in Guanacaste: the complete guide
Who runs it
Flamingo Sport Fishing is owned and run by Costa Ricans. The family says it has fished the waters off Playa Flamingo since 1982, and that its know-how goes back to grandparents who fished here by hand long before sportfishing arrived. Its captains are all local men, and reviews name Capt. Warren and mate Eric among the crew.
The company's own website hasn't changed much since 2023, but the business is clearly running: its FishingBooker listing logged trips from late 2025 through October 2026, and it has more than 160 reviews there.
The boats
The company runs 4 boats and says each one fits about 6 people comfortably. The one you'll see most is the Guerrero del Mar ("Sea Warrior"), a 32-foot Blackfin built in the US in 1998 and restored in 2024. Twin 315 hp Cummins diesels power it, and it's a proper small sportfisher: a flybridge, a fighting chair, outriggers and downriggers, a live bait tank, a cabin with a bunk, a toilet and Garmin electronics. Its listing caps a booking at 4 anglers, so ask if you're more.
The other 3 boats aren't described in detail on the website, and one 2026 reviewer was moved to a different boat after an engine problem. If a particular boat matters to you, ask the crew which one you'll be on.
Where it leaves from
The company gives its address as the old Flamingo marina site on Route 180, the spot where the new Marina Flamingo opened in 2023. Boarding at a dock rather than wading out from the beach is easier with kids, older anglers or lots of gear. Flamingo is also the closest base to the Catalina Islands, a short run for inshore fish.
What you'll fish for
Offshore, the crews troll for blue, black and striped marlin, sailfish, mahi-mahi and yellowfin tuna. Inshore, they fish the Catalinas and the rocky Flamingo coast for roosterfish, cubera and dog snapper, amberjack and jacks, with jigging, popping and even fly fishing on offer.
In Guanacaste, billfish peak from about May to December, with Flamingo crews often naming June to August for sailfish. Roosterfish are best from January to April, mahi-mahi from July to December. The listing says the boats fish about 250 days a year, slowing in the wettest part of the green season. The Papagayo winds of December to March are weaker this far south than around Coco, but they still shape the mornings.
Release practice
The listing says sailfish, marlin and roosterfish are released. Other fish can be kept, and the crew cleans and fillets your catch. See our guide to releasing a billfish for how a good crew does it.
How to book
Call or message +506 8389 5962, email [email protected], or use the booking form on its website. The Guerrero del Mar is also on FishingBooker. Trips run as 4-hour inshore half days (morning or afternoon), 6-hour 3/4 days inshore or offshore, and 8-hour offshore full days. Each angler needs an INCOPESCA fishing licence. For the rest of the coast, see our complete guide to fishing in Guanacaste.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Flamingo Sport Fishing leave from?
From the old Flamingo marina site on Route 180 in Playa Flamingo, now Marina Flamingo.
How long has it been running?
The family says it has fished these waters since 1982.
How many people can go?
The company says each boat fits about 6 people. The Guerrero del Mar's listing takes up to 4 per booking, so ask about bigger groups.
Are billfish released?
Yes. Sailfish, marlin and roosterfish go back; eating fish can be kept.
